Some years ago now the release of the Nintendo Wii evoked in me a sense of bemusement and disbelief: the console was, as far as I could see, a dinosaur. Microsoft’s Xbox360 and Sony’s PS3 showed gamers that the gulf between the PC and the games console was narrowing.
Both consoles would immediately offer online services (most notably Microsoft’s Xbox Live, which had already proven its worth in terms of usability and reliability), allow media centre connectivity, the usage of mass-storage devices (having appeared to some extent on Microsoft’s original Xbox) and high definition graphics. Conversely, Nintendo’s latest iteration was a redesigned Gamecube with rather novel controllers – all old hardware. These reasons all contributed to the surprise experienced by so many at the Wii’s success.
Until now the motion-control domain has been owned by Nintendo exclusively, but the Sony’s newest peripheral, the PlayStation Move, is making its own foray into the market. Unlike Microsoft’s upcoming Kinect, which questions the necessity of controllers, Move is an improvement on the old technology used by Nintendo to staggering appeal; it is easy to dismiss Move as a Wii ‘cash-in’, but the similarities do not run deep.
I purchased my Move the day following release, with no prior intention of doing so. Browsing the shelves of Blockbuster I was allowed a quick go on their demo copy of Sports Champions, which is effectively a Move rehash of Wii Sports. The first thing that struck me was not the precision of the cursor but the precision of the controller when used in three dimensions. Unlike the Wii, which clumsily relies on mercury switches to detect force of action, the PlayStation Eye camera tracks the size and position of the ball atop the Move controller.
This allows it to not only move within three dimensions but to rotate on its axis – a much-overlooked benefit. I bought my Move the next day with R.U.S.E (an RTS), Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and Resident Evil 5: Gold, leaving many poorly rated release titles behind.
R.U.S.E
Beyond the classic ports of Command & Conquer on the original PlayStation and (to some extent) the 360 port of Battle for Middle-Earth 2, I don’t count RTS games as welcome in the console canon. Joypads are rarely capable of navigating the complicated menu systems which were often designed for PC users, and the underwhelming success of Halo Wars and Tom Clancy’s: Endwar are a testament to this fact. Still, I went ahead and bought R.U.S.E with apprehension, and I was pleasantly surprised
Essentially, the Move doubles up as a mouse and scroll-wheel combined. Holding the trigger will allow you to control the zoom and view rotation, and when released is used as a cursor. This works extremely well and while not as precise as a mouse allows the dextrous individual to play a somewhat complicated game with a great sense of enjoyment and ease.
Unfortunately the Move’s youth is apparent with the decision by Ubisoft’s to add an aim-assist to the cursor which will cause it to jump to selectable units rather than allow the player the freedom of a mouse. Even so, ordering forth a wave of infantrymen is given a fresh coat of paint, and finally gives the RTS genre breathing room on consoles.
By Chris Tucker TNC Gaming Reviewer
